Stocking-blank.



W. H. ERMENTROUT & s. s. MILLER. STOCKING BLANK.

APPLICATION IIL'EDMAR. 26, 1910.

972,442. 1 Patented Oct. 11,1910.

an STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ERMENTROUT AND SOLOMON S. MILLER, 0F READING, PENNSYLVANIA STOCKING-BLANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WVILLIAM H. ER- MENTROUT and SOLOMON S. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking-Blanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved article of manufacture in the form of a stocking blank.

The invention consists of a blank, which may be cut in large numbers, by means of a die, from a pile of knitted fabric sheets of uniform mesh, which blank may be folded on itself and sewed up with a single seam along the meeting edges Of the toe, sole, heel and leg port-ions. Vith this invention, the topping of the stocking is dispensed with'and the result is a single piece stocking having a single seam. It is evident that the looping and ribbing machines are entively dispensed with in making stockings with this blank and that the manufacture of full fashioned stockings is reduced to its simplest form.

Another feature of our invention is the insertion in the upper edge of the blank, of a garter, in the form of an elastic band having locking meeting edges.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a plan of our blank with the garter attached to its top. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the interlocking edges of the garter when brought together. Fig. 3 shows the interlocked ends of the garter with the joint covering about to be attached.

The numeral 1 designates the blank. These blanks are cut from sheets of knitted fabric of uniform mesh, a number being out out at a time, preferably by means of a die, and of the desired shape and size. The shape of these blanks may be such that when sewed "along their folded meeting edges 2,

they will form what is commonly termed a full fashioned stocking. The blank is folded along its vertical center and the meeting edges 2 are sewed in a single seam, at a single pass through the machine, beginning at the toe, extending along the sole, around the heel and up the back of the leg portion to the top.

The garter 3 is a piece of elastic material and is sewed to the upper edge of the blank. This garter is formed with interlocking meeting ends, so that the dovetailed project-ion 5 on one end will rest in the opening 7 on the opposite end when brought to-' gether, and they are sewed along their meeting edges of these portions, thus forming a flush surface and also preventing the garter ends from separating.

It is evident that any form or size'of stocking may be made and that the cost of manufacture is very materially reduced while the output for a given time and number of operators will be materially increased.

When the garter is not inclosed, as above described, it is covered at the joint by a cover 9.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A stocking blank, an elastic band secured adjacent the upper edge thereof, the ends of the band being formed to interlock, one end of the band being adjacent one edge of the stocking blank, and the complement end of the band adjacent the complement edge of the stocking blank, whereby the ends of the band may be brought together and the edges of the stocking blank may be brought together t0 permlt uniting.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ERMENTROUT. SOLOMON S. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ED. A. KELLY, ADAM L. OT'I'ERBEIN. 

